The application for the University of California system is now available. Part of the application is the personal statement. The personal statement consists of two topics, and applicants may write a maximum of 1000 words. The personal statement topics can be found at the following link:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html
Applicants are reminded to complete the application before writing the personal statement, as statement readers will be looking at the applicant's application before reading the personal statement. For other great tips on writing the personal statement, view the PowerPoint presentation, courtesy of the UC system, posted on my authorSTREAM page: http://www.authorstream.com/tag/misham.
To access the UC application, click on this link: https://admissions.ucop.edu/pathwaysF2010/Pathways
DVC international students should be advised that the international counselor will have extended drop-in counseling available in the month of November to offer feedback on the personal statement. However, applicants should not expect extensive editing, as the personal statement is just that: PERSONAL. It is your story, not mine.
For details on the extended drop-in hours, contact the DVC Counseling Center: 925-685-1230, extension 2276 or 2278.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Reporting Prior Coursework on the University Application
I want to take this opportunity to remind students that ALL prior coursework MUST be reported on the University of California application, as well as on any other university application. Some students act like they do not believe me when I tell them this information. Here is a link to the University of California website that confirms my assertion:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/adminfo/transfer/advising/answers/applying.html#1
University applications all include a statement that must be read and signed, even virtually, by applicants verifying that the applicant has reported all information in the application accurately and honestly, and that failure to do so can have negative consequences on the applicant's admissibility to the university. If the university discovers that you failed to report prior college coursework, you can have your admissions rescinded, or taken away, and it can affect your admissibility to any other university in the system.
Do not be afraid to report prior college coursework, even if your GPA was weak. Let the university make the decision on your application, not your peers, and remember that any decision can be appealed through proper channels of communication.
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/adminfo/transfer/advising/answers/applying.html#1
University applications all include a statement that must be read and signed, even virtually, by applicants verifying that the applicant has reported all information in the application accurately and honestly, and that failure to do so can have negative consequences on the applicant's admissibility to the university. If the university discovers that you failed to report prior college coursework, you can have your admissions rescinded, or taken away, and it can affect your admissibility to any other university in the system.
Do not be afraid to report prior college coursework, even if your GPA was weak. Let the university make the decision on your application, not your peers, and remember that any decision can be appealed through proper channels of communication.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Transfer Admission Guarantee
Students who will complete all of their transfer requirements by the end of Spring 2010, and who have no units from a college or university outside of the U.S., might want to look into the opportunities provided by the Transfer Admission Guarantee, or TAG, with several of the UC campuses.
All UC campuses except Berkeley and Los Angeles have TAG programs. All of the TAG programs allow international students except San Diego.
Davis is the most popular TAG for international students at DVC. The deadline to submit the Davis TAG is September 30. You MUST see a counselor BY APPOINTMENT to write the TAG, as doing so requires your file to be pulled from the Admissions and Records office, and it requires more time than a drop-in meeting would allow. So, if you are interested in writing the TAG with UC Davis, schedule an appointment IMMEDIATELY by calling the Counseling Center at 925-685-1230, ext. 2276 or 2278.
The other UC's have different procedures and deadlines. Check with the Transfer Center in the Counseling Building for more details about the UC TAGs. You can also refer to the UC website: http://uctransfer.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer_admis_guar.html
All UC campuses except Berkeley and Los Angeles have TAG programs. All of the TAG programs allow international students except San Diego.
Davis is the most popular TAG for international students at DVC. The deadline to submit the Davis TAG is September 30. You MUST see a counselor BY APPOINTMENT to write the TAG, as doing so requires your file to be pulled from the Admissions and Records office, and it requires more time than a drop-in meeting would allow. So, if you are interested in writing the TAG with UC Davis, schedule an appointment IMMEDIATELY by calling the Counseling Center at 925-685-1230, ext. 2276 or 2278.
The other UC's have different procedures and deadlines. Check with the Transfer Center in the Counseling Building for more details about the UC TAGs. You can also refer to the UC website: http://uctransfer.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer_admis_guar.html
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Unavailability of Classes
Please read this letter to students from DVC regarding the great difficulty that students are facing in enrolling in classes and accessing services this Fall semester:
http://www.dvc.edu/news/announcements/closedclasses.htm
While international students do not have voting privileges in California, you are here legally and the budget cuts have just as negative an impact on you as they do on California residents. The U.S. government requires that you be enrolled in at least twelve units per semester; finding that many units that all count toward your academic goal is extremely difficult in these times. You, too, are encouraged to send letters and emails to the California legislators named in the letter and explain how the budget cuts are negatively impacting your education at DVC.
http://www.dvc.edu/news/announcements/closedclasses.htm
While international students do not have voting privileges in California, you are here legally and the budget cuts have just as negative an impact on you as they do on California residents. The U.S. government requires that you be enrolled in at least twelve units per semester; finding that many units that all count toward your academic goal is extremely difficult in these times. You, too, are encouraged to send letters and emails to the California legislators named in the letter and explain how the budget cuts are negatively impacting your education at DVC.
DVC Forms Online
Looking for a DVC form? Find most, if not all, of the forms you need online at this link: http://www.dvc.edu/org/departments/counseling/forms.htm
Some of the forms can even be filled out and submitted online! You can also find .pdf documents showing IGETC courses, CSU-GE courses, and the DVC AA-GE courses.
Some of the forms can even be filled out and submitted online! You can also find .pdf documents showing IGETC courses, CSU-GE courses, and the DVC AA-GE courses.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The Importance of Planning Ahead
"A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."
I saw that sign posted in the photocopy services office of the university where I completed my last master's degree. At first I thought its tone was sarcastic, and I felt it was inappropriate to display it publicly. However, after more than seven years as an academic advisor and counselor, I've come to see the simple truth conveyed by that quote.
We humans are free to make our own choices: To be proactive or reactive; to plan ahead or to wait until the last possible moment; to accept the consequences of our choices or to blame others. For some people, planning ahead is a way of life. These are the people who use calendars, planners, PDAs, and so forth to organize their lives, sometimes to the least detail. For others, planning is an excruciatingly painful process that goes against every fiber of their being. They're just not made that way.
To be successful in college, though, planning ahead is vital. Students must exercise foresight and good time management skills in order to achieve their academic goals. This week, many students, both domestic and international, are realizing the unfortunate consequences of a lack of planning. They're arriving on the DVC campus expecting to get into all of the classes that they want to take with no obstacles or barriers. They're discovering, much to their disappointment and frustration, however, that most of DVC's classes are already full, and that it is very unlikely that they will be able to take some classes (especially Math, English, and Sciences) in the Fall semester. This setback might delay their achieving their academic goals by at least one semester, and in some cases, by as much as one year!
In addition, many international students will be compelled to take courses that do not count toward their academic goals because F-1 students must be enrolled in at least twelve units each semester. Because of their lack of planning, they will have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for unrequired classes, and they might have to delay their transfer by up to a year. In most cases, this could have been avoided if the student had read the materials that they received from DVC and arrived earlier in the summer to attend orientation and register for classes.
Of course, life sometimes gets in the way of our plans. Unexpected delays which are beyond our control can occur, and our plans do not unfold according to our expectations, despite our best efforts. But even in cases such as these, we cannot expect the rest of the world to accommodate our individual situations. Successful students are adaptable; they plan in advance, they meet challenges well-equipped with good time management skills and effective coping strategies, and they adapt to unexpected changes by taking personal responsibility for their educational outcomes.
Are you a good manager of your time? Do you plan well in advance for important events? Do you have a back-up plan in case your primary plan fails? Do you take personal responsibility for yourself and your situation? If the answer to all of these questions is "yes," then you will be a successful student. If you need to build skills in academic planning, then consider taking Counseling 120, Student Success. It is transferable to both CSU and UC and counts toward the 60-unit minimum requirement.
I saw that sign posted in the photocopy services office of the university where I completed my last master's degree. At first I thought its tone was sarcastic, and I felt it was inappropriate to display it publicly. However, after more than seven years as an academic advisor and counselor, I've come to see the simple truth conveyed by that quote.
We humans are free to make our own choices: To be proactive or reactive; to plan ahead or to wait until the last possible moment; to accept the consequences of our choices or to blame others. For some people, planning ahead is a way of life. These are the people who use calendars, planners, PDAs, and so forth to organize their lives, sometimes to the least detail. For others, planning is an excruciatingly painful process that goes against every fiber of their being. They're just not made that way.
To be successful in college, though, planning ahead is vital. Students must exercise foresight and good time management skills in order to achieve their academic goals. This week, many students, both domestic and international, are realizing the unfortunate consequences of a lack of planning. They're arriving on the DVC campus expecting to get into all of the classes that they want to take with no obstacles or barriers. They're discovering, much to their disappointment and frustration, however, that most of DVC's classes are already full, and that it is very unlikely that they will be able to take some classes (especially Math, English, and Sciences) in the Fall semester. This setback might delay their achieving their academic goals by at least one semester, and in some cases, by as much as one year!
In addition, many international students will be compelled to take courses that do not count toward their academic goals because F-1 students must be enrolled in at least twelve units each semester. Because of their lack of planning, they will have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for unrequired classes, and they might have to delay their transfer by up to a year. In most cases, this could have been avoided if the student had read the materials that they received from DVC and arrived earlier in the summer to attend orientation and register for classes.
Of course, life sometimes gets in the way of our plans. Unexpected delays which are beyond our control can occur, and our plans do not unfold according to our expectations, despite our best efforts. But even in cases such as these, we cannot expect the rest of the world to accommodate our individual situations. Successful students are adaptable; they plan in advance, they meet challenges well-equipped with good time management skills and effective coping strategies, and they adapt to unexpected changes by taking personal responsibility for their educational outcomes.
Are you a good manager of your time? Do you plan well in advance for important events? Do you have a back-up plan in case your primary plan fails? Do you take personal responsibility for yourself and your situation? If the answer to all of these questions is "yes," then you will be a successful student. If you need to build skills in academic planning, then consider taking Counseling 120, Student Success. It is transferable to both CSU and UC and counts toward the 60-unit minimum requirement.
Using AP, IB, GCE, and other test scores
While in high school, many students take classes and exams in college-bound programs such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge General Certificate of Education (GCE), often know as O-level and A-level, or in similar programs based on that of Cambridge, such as KHALE. Acceptable scores on such exams often result in requirements being waived, and in some universities, earn unit credit. Each college and university has its own policy regarding the use of exam scores; indeed, sometimes there are different policies from one department to another in the same university. Each student's case is unique, so if you have exam scores like one of the ones mentioned previously, you should look at the websites of the universities you plan to apply to and determine how they will accept your scores. In almost all cases, however, only AP scores can be used to meet General Education requirements. The UC transfer website does have some information on how the UC accepts such scores: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/adminfo/transfer/advising/credit/ap_ib.html
Exam scores might also be used to clear prerequisite requirements for courses that you want or need to take at DVC. To determine whether or not your scores meet prerequisite requirements, be sure that DVC has an official copy of your score report on file. Submit a Prerequisite Form, along with an unofficial copy of your score report, to the DVC Admissions and Records office. Be sure to fill in the information on the form about the class you want to take and the score you believe meets the requirement for that class. If the DVC class you want to take is still open, or if you have been given permission by the instructor to enroll, you can also submit a Schedule Request form to enroll in the class. The appropriate academic department will review your credential to determine whether or not you can stay in the class.
Exam scores might also be used to clear prerequisite requirements for courses that you want or need to take at DVC. To determine whether or not your scores meet prerequisite requirements, be sure that DVC has an official copy of your score report on file. Submit a Prerequisite Form, along with an unofficial copy of your score report, to the DVC Admissions and Records office. Be sure to fill in the information on the form about the class you want to take and the score you believe meets the requirement for that class. If the DVC class you want to take is still open, or if you have been given permission by the instructor to enroll, you can also submit a Schedule Request form to enroll in the class. The appropriate academic department will review your credential to determine whether or not you can stay in the class.
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